Football ranks 7th in the MEC Preseason survey

Bridgeport (WV.) Ahead of the annual Mountain East Conference (MEC) Media Day, MEC released its pre-season football vote, and the Wheeling University Football team was selected as the seventh in the conference with 55 points.

Wheeling played his introductory season at MEC in 2019 and finished 12th 1-10. The team, which consisted mainly of freshmen and sophomores, fought throughout the first season and ended it at a high level when they beat Concord University 27-20 and got their first win in program history. They continued it in 2020 by taking 2-2 of their four matches, including wins from West Liberty University (42-19) and Alderson Broaddus (34-6).

The team announced to the training camp on Sunday as their second-year head coach Zac Bruney will lead the team in its third term as members of the MEC. Despite the pandemic, spring 2021 allowed the team to grow and develop and saw them set several program records along the way. They broke the one-match scoring record in their match against West Liberty by 42 points and got the first wins of the program against both West Liberty University and Alderson Broaddus.

The theme of this year’s camp is to put pressure on his opponents, which means Bruney puts pressure on his players every day. With a lot of competition all over the field this season, the team has the opportunity to go out and compete every day.

“We now know what it takes to take the next step at the conference,” Bruney said. “We finally have age and experience, and we’re excited to be able to go back there and compete just like everyone else.”

Notre Dame College was selected to beat MEC 10 in first place and 119 points. They were followed by Charleston (112) and Frostburg State (101) among the top three teams in the MEC survey. Voting ends at UNC Pembroke (91), West Virginia State (79), Fairmont State (62), Wheeling (55), Glenville State (54), West Liberty (44), Concord (43), Alderson Broaddus (19) and West Virginia Wesleyan (13).

Wheeling University Cardinals will open their season with out-of-conference play in Week 1 as they head down the road to Seton Hill on Sept. 2 before returning home in their MEC opening match of the MEC Season advance vote of choice to win the conference, Notre Dame College, on Sept. 9. The Cardinals ’home field has five games against Bishop Schmitt Field, and games against Alderson Broaddus (Sept. 18), West Virginia Wesleyan (Oct. 2), and West Liberty (Oct. 23).

The season begins Sept. 2, with the Cardinals on their way to Seton Hill University, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.